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Crystal Palace host Manchester United at Selhurst Park on Wednesday and the the home side will be hoping to inflict another shock result on a big six team – BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson thinks that they will be able to do just that.

What did he say?

Summarising his predictions for the midweek Premier League clashes, the former Liverpool defender said:

“United’s injury problems from their draw with Liverpool weekend are going to affect the team that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can put out in this one.

“He dealt very well with what happened, but the game itself was very poor and Liverpool did not pose much of a threat.

“I just have a feeling that Palace will be different, and that they are going to surprise people here. They are playing well and they going to go for it attack-wise too.

“Michy Batshuayi is up and running after scoring against Leicester on Saturday, Wilfried Zaha is back from suspension, and I think they will cause United problems.”

High praise for Palace

Liverpool’s front three is regarded as one of the most dangerous in Europe but they have admittedly gone off the boil in recent weeks, with stalemates against United and Bayern Munich showcasing some extremely poor finishing. Lawrenson, though, thinks that Roy Hodgson’s side will have no such problems breaking down the former.

Zaha is back to his sparkling best and has now scored four goals in his last three games, while January signing Batshuayi netted his first – admittedly a fortuitous one – in red and blue against Leicester at the weekend.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

A 3-2 win over Manchester City in December showed that the Selhurst Park outfit have the quality in all areas of the pitch to upset the bookies but a win over United, who have been rejuvenated since Jose Mourinho’s departure, would be almost as impressive as their victory over the Premier League champions just after Christmas.

أعلن مرتضى منصور رئيس الزمالك عن تلقيه عرضين من إسبانيا وألمانيا لضم أحد مهاجمي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم خلال الفترة الحالية.

وكان الزمالك قد انتصر على المصري بهدفٍ دون رد في المباراة التي أقيمت ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال مرتضى منصور خلال مداخلة هاتفية ببرنامج البريمو عبر قناة تن: “اليوم كنا نلعب من غير طارق حامد وأيضًا فرجاني ساسي فافتقدنا المخ والعضلات في خط الوسط وكذلك القوة والمهارة ولكن ربنا وفقنا وحصدنا 3 نقاط”.

وأوضح: “لو اردوغان وقف على رأسه فلن أسمح بانتقال مصطفى محمد إلى تركيا، وأنا تلقيت عرض من اسبانيا لضمه واليوم وصل عرضًا آخر من ألمانيا”.

وتابع: “لدي طلب واحد ومصطفى يعلمه وهو أن يحصدوا دوري ابطال إفريقيا وسيرحل لأي نادي يريده بعد شهر نوفمبر المقبل”.

وأردف: “بعد بطولة إفريقيا أنا موافق على رحيل أي لاعب ولكن لا بد أن يليق العرض به وبالنادي”.

طالع أيضًا.. مرتضى منصور: وقعت عقوبة مالية على فرجاني ساسي لم يتعرض لها سوى من سب الأهلي!

وواصل: “صرفت أمس 18 مليون جنيهًا من المستحقات ولا يوجد لأحد مليم لدى الزمالك والمدرب حصل على مقدم تعاقده هو وجهازه الفني”.

وتابع: “إبراهيم سعيد من أفضل اللاعبين في تاريخ مصر وأحرف من أنجبته الكرة المصرية”.

واختتم: “لا تحدثني عن الاداء في ظل خوض مباراة كل 48 ساعة”.

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Rangers bounced back from a run of disappointing results in style as they hammered Kilmarnock 5-0 in the Scottish Cup, with Alfredo Morelos hitting four – yes, four – on his return from suspension.

The Gers were forced into a replay having drawn 0-0 with Killie earlier this month but made no mistake in dispatching their opponents at the second time of asking, with Morelos channeling his aggression and desire in the right way to fire his side to victory.

While the Colombian deservedly stole the match ball and headlines, the stellar performance of one of his teammates slipped under the radar in comparison – Daniel Candeias assisted three of Morelos’ four strikes and was Rangers’ conduit of play throughout.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The 15-cap Portuguese had chalked up five goals and six assists prior to the Wednesday night demolition and surely put in his best performance to date this season, albeit in the shadow of Morelos.

The 5-foot-10 ace has often divided opinion around Ibrox as he tends to struggle for consistency, and he has taken plenty of flak even recently, but the Twitter reactions down below are full of praise…

Tottenham Hotspur missed out on a striker during the January transfer window, but fresh reports suggest they could go back in for one of their previous targets at the end of the season.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the north Londoners are still hopeful of landing Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud this summer with him set to be available for a free transfer.

It has led to fans reacting to the news on social media, and as with every mooted signing, there are some all for it and some totally against it.

Spurs’ pursuit of the Frenchman went down to Deadline Day with Chelsea willing to sell, but as Frank Lampard wasn’t able to secure a new striker, Giroud wasn’t allowed to leave.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

Clearly, the rivalry between the Blues and the Lilywhites alone was enough to put off some supporters with many blasting such a move.

“Insult” and “horrible” were two strong words used to back this view up while one member of the Spurs faithful said he would combust if the club nabbed both Giroud and Willian on free transfers this summer.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 33-year-old bagged one of his three goals this season against Jose Mourinho’s side back in February, just a few weeks after his failed move across the capital.

However, some were behind the free capture, here’s why…

Before the season was interrupted and put on hold, Spurs were quickly embarking on a crisis – five defeats from six, out of all cup competitions and seven points adrift from the top four in the Premier League.

Their form has only gotten worse in the absence of top goalscoring duo Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, who have no one behind them in terms of squad depth, which is why many see Giroud as the ideal rotation option.

“Solid backup” and “no brainer” reinforce this.

The France international has only played 13 times in what was supposed to be a European Championship year, and with that being postponed until the summer of 2021, playing somewhere more regularly could bolster his chances of making that squad – one last hoorah, perhaps.

There were also comparisons made to other targets and other players in his position. One fan believed he was better than Arsenal frontman Alexander Lacazette while another believed the veteran could do a similar job to Fernando Llorente.

Who is that?! Nobody has been able to name the teams all of these obscure managers were once in charge of…

And in other news, Spurs need Levy to be at his vintage best amid Kane links…

It is no secret that Charlton Athletic will be looking to recruit players in January, especially when their injury crisis is considered, as they were missing 13 players before the Swansea City loss on Thursday evening.

That number was recently added to by Lyle Taylor, who was forced off at half time during the 1-0 defeat due to a thigh injury, as reported by London News Online.

Having the Montserrat international unavailable, after he scored seven goals from 11 starts and four substitute appearances, is already a blow it itself.

Watch Charlton Athletic Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, when that is added to Macauley Bonne’s absence and Jonathan Leko being ruled out for the rest of the season, it can be seen as pretty disastrous.

This backdrop is not necessarily the greatest for Andre Green’s arrival on loan from Aston Villa, as it means that Lee Bowyer is likely to find himself heavily relying on the 21-year-old.

That is not an ideal situation for somebody who has managed just 86 minutes of league football this campaign, indicating that he could have benefited from a bedding-in period.

It’s the dawn of a new decade in the Premier League, but how much do you know about the last 10 years?

All of this comes with the Villa man having his position altered from a wideman to more of a central striker, as suggested by Lee Bowyer upon Green’s arrival.

Despite these concerning indications, Green has shown signs of quality that can offer encouragement for Addicks fans.

The latest of those came in one of his two Carabao Cup starts this season, when he clinically volleyed home to open the scoring against Bradford City.

However, the big moment that should make people believe he can pop up when it matters came against Sheffield United last season during Villa’s promotion push. After they had gone 3-0 down, the now-21-year-old scored a 94th minute equaliser when he climbed highest to head the ball in.

Considering Charlton’s current circumstances, including a lack of forward options and their lowly position in the table, they may find themselves relying on Green producing similar levels of heroics.

In other news, Charlton are showing interest in a striker with Championship pedigree.

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The Guardian recently reported that West Ham United are willing to delay contract negotiation talks with Declan Rice until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old has been a revelation for the Hammers so far this season, bringing vital defensive awareness, physicality and composure to the middle of the park for Manuel Pellegrini’s team.

However, as per the aforementioned report, Rice is thought to be slightly unsettled at the London Stadium due to his wage demands not being met. The versatile teenager is presently on terms of £3,000-per-week, and the Irons are currently unwilling to grant him the £30,000-per-week he wants.

With only 18 months left to run on his current deal, the east London outfit are taking a significant risk by allowing his contract to run down even further. However, if the Hammers are forced into a sale, they are certain to attract a big fee for Rice, who has a Transfermarkt valuation of £13.5 million.

Despite this low estimate, many West Ham fans already think he is worth far more. 41% of those who took part in our poll stated they felt Rice to be worth more than £40 million already, with 12% even voting for in excess of £60 million. See the full results below.

Manchester City kept it relatively low key during the summer transfer window, with only Riyad Mahrez being their only big money capture of a quiet summer for Pep Guardiola’s men.

The Cityzens have gotten off to an excellent start though once more in the top flight, with an unbeaten run so far bringing three wins and a draw heading into the international break.

It’s set to be a long hard season for the club, and with the likes of Liverpool, Watford, and Spurs all starting well, they could well face quite the battle to ensure they replicate last season’s success and bring the Premier League title back to the Etihad.

With this in mind, it could well be that City need to delve into the market come January, and we at the Transfer Tavern think only the best will do for City in terms of player quality.

One man we think fits the mould and would be an absolutely superb signing is former Liverpool and current Barcelona star Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan has turned into one of the world’s best strikers during his time with the Catalan club, but might well be open to a new challenge, with the lure of winning the Premier League title he so agonisingly missed out on at Anfield something which could entice him back to England.

Suarez is world class, and despite City having the likes of Aguero and Jesus up front, a player of Suarez’s quality is always going to improve a squad.

Deadly in front of goal and proven at the highest level, Suarez would be a stunning capture for City should they look to make a big January move.

City fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know your thoughts on Suarez in the comments!

According to reports in The Mirror, Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has hinted that Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk could be sold during the January transfer window as “everybody has a price”.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror says that Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been given the green light to make an offer for the £70m-rated Netherlands international, with Pellegrino unable to guarantee that the 26-year-old would be at St Mary’s at the end of January.

The Merseyside outfit were forced to issue a public apology after being accused of tapping the centre-back up earlier in the summer, but The Mirror says that Klopp still believes the Dutchman is the man to strengthen his team’s defence.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saints’ trip to Anfield on Saturday, Pellegrino explained the latest situation when questioned about Van Dijk.

What did he say?

According to The Mirror, the 43-year-old said: “I can’t control the market.

“You never know, because when we talk about money everybody has got a price.

“The budget is to sign players and the biggest teams have got money to try to sign players.”

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How has Van Dijk done this term?

Having initially been banished to train with the U23s after handing in a transfer request just days before the start of the Premier League season, the 26-year-old was forced to wait until the end of September to make his first appearance of the campaign as a substitute against Crystal Palace.

The fact that he had spent eight months on the sidelines with injury certainly showed in his first couple of appearances, but he is starting to get back to the player that has attracted so much interest from the top clubs in England.

He has started five consecutive top flight games for Saints, and he is likely to start again his potential future employers on Saturday.

Will Saints sell him in January?

It probably depends on what sort of impact he is having behind the scenes.

If the Dutchman is causing problems and bringing down the morale of the team then he could go, but if he is working hard they could keep him until the summer.

That said, every player does have his price and if Southampton received an offer of £70m, they would undoubtedly have to do that deal.

As reported by The Express, Arsenal have put Leicester City attacking midfielder Riyad Mahrez at the top of their summer transfer wishlist, in their efforts to build a squad worthy of a Premier League title challenge.

What’s the story?

After a tumultuous season, it appears as if Arsene Wenger will again be in the Emirates dugout come the start of the new season and he’s already busy building a list of talent he believes can help deliver major success next term.

The Express reckon one such player is Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez, a player who of course helped the Foxes to an unbelievable league title last season.

The paper say the Gunners are willing to spend up to £30m to get their man but face stiff competition from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain to secure his signature.

Is he the man that can help Wenger deliver the trophies supporters crave?

Good enough for the Gunners?

It’s fair to say that Riyad Mahrez and Leicester City haven’t hit the heights of their exploits last season this term in the English Premier League. Blighted by inconsistency, poor results and the departure of Claudio Ranieri, they struggled to live up to their billing as champions of England.

Perhaps it’s Mahrez’s form in the UEFA Champions League that highlights his true potential at Arsenal though. The right sided player was in exceptional form throughout the competition, scoring four goals and assisting two more in his nine appearances, helping the Foxes to an unlikely quarter final appearance.

If he can produce that kind of form at Arsenal and again do it on a regular basis in the English Premier League, he could provide the creative spark Wenger is looking for on the right wing.

It may have taken the best part of three months but Hull City have finally got a permanent manager, and it should come as no great surprise that the man in question is none other than Mike Phelan.

The former Manchester United assistant has been in temporary charge since the hasty departure of Steve Bruce back in July and many will ask the question as to why Phelan’s role at the club wasn’t made permanent a lot sooner.

The main sticking point was the contract offer, or lack of one, after an impressive start to the season, which saw them record back-to-back wins over champions Leicester and Swansea; Phelan had reached September and there was still nothing in the way of a full time job offer.

Galvanising a thread bare squad to two victories was impressive, especially as no-one gave Hull a hope of getting any points on the board, such was the crisis within the club.

With only 14 fit senior players and no manager, pundits couldn’t write Hull off quick enough, but Phelan has restored credibility to the club with some impressive performances.

Let’s not forget, they were a minutes away from holding out Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United at home, only for Marcus Rashford to snatch a late winner and break Tigers fans’ hearts.

Seven points from four matches is a good enough start for any promoted side, let alone Hull in their current plight but, as of late, they have been brought back down to earth with an almighty bump.

That said, the fixture computer has been incredibly cruel to them as they have had to face Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea back-to-back, and have shipped 11 goals in the process.

On the face of it, three defeats is not good in anyone’s eyes but in a perverse way, perhaps it was that trio of losses which meant a decision on Mike Phelan had to finally be made once and for all.

If you were Hull owner Assem Allam, you could look at the start in one of two ways. You could either thank Mike Phelan for his efforts and get someone else in ,or you could give him the full backing so that he has a clear remit for the rest of the season, which is obviously survival.

Thankfully for Phelan, though, Allam has chosen what many feel is the right decision and made him Head Coach of the club on a permanent basis.

After three losses it needed this news to once again get the squad focused on the job in hand as after a good start, it’s fair to say they have lost their way slightly and, although they have come up against some top opposition, the ongoing manager saga will certainly not have helped.

With that all wrapped up and four of the top six already faced, it means Hull have a run of what they will consider winnable matches to come and now that their manager’s situation has finally been resolved, there’s no reason why they can’t add to the seven points that they have already picked.

There are teams in current worse plights as the Premier League table, which definitely doesn’t lie, but you just had the feeling that the longer they went on without a permanent man at the helm, then it can only have been to the detriment of the club.

That said, there are no excuses for this side and the performances but, more importantly, results have to come straight away, these next months will tell us whether Phelan was the right man for the job all along.